Rise of the Guardians: Nightmare Before Christmas
by Mysterie1985
Summary: Pitch isn't a threat anymore, not even after five years of being gone; but not all is quiet in Burgess, even the adults are starting to have nightmares, but there's no sign of Pitch. Who could be behind this and is it the same force that leaves the five Guardians now down to four?
1. Author's Note

This story was inspired by Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. Yes, some elements of that movie WILL appear in this story, but this isn't a rehashing of that movie. This is what I believe the real Pumpkin King is like and well... if I say much more I'll just spoil it. I am posting this story here before I do on A03 because this is my gift to those who have been loyal readers, who have given me encouragement and constructive criticism over the years. You all make it worth while to write, even if I will never make a living for it; because I write solely for the entertainment of you guys, my readers. I hope that this story will be up to standard and will turn out as good as I've imagined it to.


	2. 1

The wind teased a brown leaf from a nearby tree, taken from where it had been it floated up and over a busy street that had seen battle like no other... Burgess, Pennsylvania. The story was all over the Internet, but who believed it would have been true... no one but the many children who remembered nights filled with nothing but Nightmares... No adult would ever believe that the world had been saved by a lonely winter spirit, known as Jack Frost, and a single eight year old boy's belief and courage. The leaf danced past the busy traffic and over a string of orange lights that were strung along and orange and black signs in windows wished passersby a Happy Halloween. The leaf floated over to a thirteen year old, he was on the thin side but his brown eyes sparkled beneath the old brown hat he refused to get rid of; it was the same hat his mother had told him to wear so that Jack Frost wouldn't nip his nose. That had been the first time in his life that Jamie Bennett had heard of Jack, but now his eyes were on the sky; bright with anticipation just as they had been the year before. The leaf stuck to his hat, he brushed it away with a giddy chuckle as he waved excitedly at the familiar blue figure that was floating down towards him.

"Jack!"

"Hey kiddo! Whoa!" He laughed as the pre-teen hugged him just as fiercely as he had the last time he'd parted with him. He hated leaving Burgess, it was his home but he really couldn't stand certain temperatures in the summer and often had to retreat south when warmer weather came; not that it kept him from visiting his first and best believer.

"I missed you Jack."

"Missed ya too. I know it's a little early for snow, but we can still go skating if ya want." Jamie nodded with a grin. He dashed into the nearby house and when he came out he had a pair of worn ice skates; a gift from North, every couple of years North had given him a new pair. Jamie followed Jack to the pond that was always frozen, the pond that he'd learned just last year was Jack's home and had been because it was there that Jack had emerged to become Jack Frost after he had died. Jamie had mixed feelings about that honestly, he and Jack had a lot in common really; Jamie was almost the same age Jack had been when he had died, and they both had a sister though Jack didn't talk much about her or his family that he'd lost. Jamie figured Jack might in time, but it was only five years ago that he'd even learned he'd had a family; that he'd been someone before he'd been chosen to be Jack Frost. Jamie sat on a nearby log and removed his shoes, he wiggled his toes in the cold air before putting on the first ice skate. He'd long since grown used to the cold and he and his friends in the past had reenacted the battle with Pitch over and over again... and of course Jamie had always played the part of Jack while the others had switched on and off with rules. Sometimes Cupcake even played the part of Pitch. Those days were behind him though, the pre-teen didn't think about the loss though as he tied up the skate. They still talked about it, and every winter they'd come out to play with Jack when he came... until last year when everything changed.

The twins had gotten into a band and spent most of their time with that now, Monty had been sent off to high school early due to his high grades; he and his parents expected he'd graduate college before he was of legal age to drink. Cupcake and Pippa had become typical girls... suddenly interested in how they looked, wearing different types of makeup and constantly talking about how they looked or giggling over pictures of teen boys... He didn't understand them anymore honestly. It seemed he was the only one who hadn't really changed much since that fateful Easter. Jamie stood up, wobbly only for a few seconds before he automatically found his balance and set out onto the ice; he wasn't a professional by any stretch of the imagination, but he could skate well enough.

"You've gotten better."

"I've been practicing this summer."

"Oh yeah?" Jamie's shoulders slumped a little.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked, floating over to the young boy as he skated slowly. Jamie met his eyes.

"It's just... everything changed last year. After you left... it's like the others have become strangers to me. I mean, I understand why Monty isn't able to play because he's got school and I'm happy for him really... but the twins... They act like it never happened and all they talk about is the music they make in their new band... The girls... I don't even know where to begin there; they giggle at almost every boy they see like there's something funny about just seeing a boy, Cupcake's made an effort to lose weight and Pippa's begun wearing make up... I don't get them at all. At least I understand Monty wanting a good education and the twins finding something they love doing." Jack nods a little, the look in the winter spirit's eyes told Jamie that he knew... Knew that the other children of Burgess... that of the six that had stood with him against Pitch to protect the other Guardians, only Jamie still believed. Jamie stopped, it hadn't occurred to him that Jack would know. It hurt to think that the winter spirit had lost believers when Jamie had been his first and only until that Easter when he'd encouraged Jack to use his snow to help the others believe... Yes, it had taken snow for him to believe too, but he had believed on his own without the snow having Jack's magic of Fun inside it. Another thing Jack had told him about that night as he'd told Jamie about what had happened on his end... more or less. Jamie had a feeling he hadn't heard the whole story yet, but he figured he'd hear it when Jack was ready to tell it.

"I... I don't know what to say."

"They're growing up Jamie. It's part of life." He shrugs, but Jamie knows this isn't right... not for Jack.

"I don't care how old I get. I'll always believe." Jack smiles a little, but it's not as cheerful as his normal smiles.

"Some how, I believe ya kiddo."

"You're my best friend, Jack. I could never forget you."

"Yeah." Even as he said it, Jack knew that remembering something and believing didn't always go hand in hand. He'd no doubt that the children who no longer believed in him remembered that night, but probably only as some great dream.

"Don't worry about it, I've got a lot of believers thanks to you and the others. I'll be alright."

"Yeah." Jamie didn't doubt for a moment that Jack wasn't hurt, but he was at least trying to get over it.

"So... what do you want to do for Halloween?"

"That's a good question. I honestly hadn't planned on much, but I was thinking maybe if your mom would let you get a scary costume we could prank a few kids." Jamie grinned.

"You would."

"Oh come on! How many kids get to actually scare the crap out of others by ACTUALLY floating huh? It'll be fun!" Jamie laughed and began skating again; he felt better, seeing how Jack's eyes had lit up like normal with the change of topic. Jack had been trying to get him to do that for the past two years but his mother hadn't allowed him anything close to scary, not even a ghost, for him to do that sort of thing.

"Speaking of fun, have you ever seen the Pumpkin King?"

"Who now?"

"Oh come on, I've done my homework Jack. I mean Jack, the spirit of Halloween!" Jack shook his head.

"Can't say I have. I wasn't even aware there was one."

"Haven't you seen the movie The Nightmare Before Christmas?"

"No."

"Well, why don't we watch it tonight then?"

"Is it scary?"

"Not really, it's a kid's movie. Even Sophie likes it."

"Oh, well I guess it can't be all that bad then." Jamie grins.

"I think you'll like it."

"So, what exactly is it about?"

"You'll just have to see." Jamie replies with a smirk.

"Oh come on now... you have to at least tell me something!"

"And spoil the surprise?"

"Hey, I can still be surprised even if I know a bit about the story."

"Right... that's what you said about the last movie." Jamie rolled his eyes as he skated away, Jack floated after him.

"No! Really!" Neither seemed to notice that the shadow of a nearby tree was a little darker than normal.

"Not going to tell you."

"Jamieee! Come on now!" Jamie laughed a little as he skated backwards so that he could look at Jack as they talked.

"It's about the Pumpkin King of course."

"Oh that's real helpful."

"You're welcome." The boy says cheekily.

"Watch it now, or you'll end up like me."

"Is that so bad?" The retort left Jack fumbling for an answer and Jamie slowed to a stop as he watched the winter spirit struggle for a moment. He wasn't sure if Jack would take that as a joke or not... He was only half serious, because honestly, he couldn't see what was so bad about the life that Jack had now...

Well, other than the 300 years of being on his own; that was still a sore spot and Jamie was pretty sure it always would be.

"You know, I really don't have an answer for that one." Jack said after a moment, but he didn't seemed depressed or hurt by the notion really, which Jamie thought was progress since he'd voiced that question once before a few years ago and Jack had rounded on him about living life to the fullest and how he should be careful to stay alive; to always watch out for himself and his sister. That was one lecture he hadn't been expecting and it had honestly shocked him that Jack, at the time, had taken it so seriously.

"It's starting to get late, why don't we head back to my house and I'll set up the movie." Jack nodded and watched Jamie change from the ice skates to his sneakers. He wasn't sure what made him do it but all of the sudden he gripped his staff tighter and swung around, pointing towards a nearby shadow. Jamie stilled, watching Jack; he didn't make a sound as Jack looked around, his eyes narrowing slightly. He could have sworn he'd seen a shadow move... There hadn't been a peep out of Pitch for the last five years, but he wasn't going to be gone forever... As long as the world had fear, Pitch would be around; Jamie knew this but he didn't fear Pitch though he was alert for any signs of the boogeyman or Nightmares but when nothing happened Jack relaxed.

"I must be seeing things."

"Maybe you need to take your own advice more."

"Huh?"

"You know... chill out."

"Oh ha ha. You're a riot Jamie." Jamie chuckled at the lame joke a little as he hefted the skates and the two headed off to the house. The shadow that Jack had been pointing his staff at seemed to lessen as something darted away and into the other shadows nearby cast by the fading light.


	3. 2

"Well, what did you think?" Jamie asked once he was sure his mother was out of earshot. Jack leaned on the back of the couch in thought.

"Well, it was definitely different I guess. Little mushy there at the end though."

"Yeah, I know."

"Seems like he'd be a cool guy if that's really what the spirit of Halloween is like, though a little... I donno... formal I guess. He seems kind of old to me."

"Right, like you're a kid." Jamie joked and Jack ruffled his hair.

"Hey! I'm as young as I want to be Bennett!"

"Yeah right!"

"We'll see who's right!" Jack let go of his staff and tackled the boy to the ground; the two laughing as they wrestled. The sound of an innocent giggle that wasn't from Jamie caught Jack off guard and he found himself pinned to the floor by Jamie who hadn't noticed. He pinned Jack's wrists to the floor, grinning down at the young Guardian.

"Looks like I win this time." The giggle that follows catches Jamie's attention and he looks up to see his sister staring at the two of them with a goofy sort of grin. He can't imagine what she thinks is so funny, he sits back, letting Jack's wrists go and it isn't until he climbs to his feet that a thought that hadn't occurred to him before did... Did his sister think that he and Jack were... Oh no... not what he wanted his baby sister thinking of him and his best friend!

"H-hey Soph. We were just wrestling. I guess I won that one." Jack nods as he sits up, looking at the young girl with a smile.

"You were watching Nightmare without me?"

"Well Jack hadn't seen it and I didn't think you were back from Annie's house. He told me he hasn't seen the spirit of Halloween, so I just thought he might like the movie."

"Uh huh..." He didn't like the sound of that, but she just smiled innocently; well... at least it wasn't his mother. There was no way he would have been able to explain THAT... well, on second thought... yeah, he could... Jamie about groaned. He really wasn't sure which was worse... dealing with his mother or Sophie...

"We can watch it again if you want." Jamie said hastily, trying to distract her.

"Okay, but can we get some popcorn first?"

"We'll see what mom says. Why don't you go ask?"

"Okay!" Sophie bounds off and Jamie heaves a sigh of relief.

"Sorry about that."

"About what?" Jamie gives Jack a strange look. What did he mean about what?

"Her. She has this friend now who's introduced her to Barbie dolls and weddings and all sorts of girly things so she kind of gets things in her head." Jack just shrugs, he doesn't seem to get what Jamie is saying, which he isn't sure if he's relieved that Jack seems oblivious to the implications his younger sister had been making about the two of them... or maybe that was just in his head. It wasn't like he hadn't thought about such things but it was... embarrassing to think about being with anyone more than just friends. And Jack was his best friend, end of story... right?

He shook the thoughts away. He really needed to watch that around his sister; she was so impressionable. Not that Jamie thought that there was anything wrong with two people of the same gender liking each other but it just always seemed a little... odd to him. How did that work? Obviously he knew that one needed a mom and a dad to make a baby, even if he didn't know the how yet; his mother had said she'd tell him when he was older. Jamie wasn't sure he really wanted to know. At least not yet.

"So, do you think there's really a spirit of Halloween?" Jamie asked, trying to distract himself as much as Jack from the previous topic.

"Could be. There are a number of spirits about that I know exist but I haven't met yet."

"Like who?"

"Father Time, Mother Nature, the other seasonal heads-"

"Seasonal heads?"

"Sure."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, like I'm the head of winter... being the only winter spirit about kind of makes that no competition really, but there are other spirits who run the other seasons. Summer, spring, fall; I just haven't met any of them."

"How do you know they exist?"

"Well, the others have been helping me out with that when they aren't busy running around. North's been teaching me about the other spirits that exist. So far though we've only studied the top spirits and seasonals. I think the next group he's going to teach me about are the holiday spirits."

"Isn't North a holiday spirit?"

"You got it. Geez you're so smart." Jamie grinned at that and Sophie came in at that moment with a bowl of popcorn almost twice as big as she was.

"Mom says no more after this bowl."

"Fair enough." Jamie said as he rewound the tape before restarting the movie. Unlike watching it the first time, Jack kept quiet; the first time seeing it he'd talked almost non-stop, asking questions and pointing out details that Jamie had missed himself despite having seen it dozens of times already. Jack had thought the rendition of "Santa" was ridiculous. The thought of North being so easily captured was laughable. He was a Guardian, he had the yetis and the elves and of course the others - Jack included - to back him up. There was no way a trio of children could simply walk up to the North Pole, knock on the front door of the Workshop and simply surprise North like that. There was no way those kids, if they existed, would have gotten past Phil or the other yetis who guarded the Workshop as well as worked in it. Plus there were the magical wards that protected the Guardians' homes since that Easter Pitch had attacked. It had not occurred to any of them that Pitch would attack their homes, now each one was protected by various magical wards that only allowed in the other Guardians without prior notice; anyone else would be stopped at the "doorway" and would have to wait for a Guardian to escort them in. There was no way they were going to allow a spirit like Pitch have run of their homes a second time. Jamie had honestly wondered why the Guardians hadn't thought of such measures before, but Jack had explained that it wasn't necessary as Pitch hadn't targeted the Guardians directly until then.

The war against Pitch, as he said North had told him about, was more of the Guardians acting like bodyguards for children; more specifically, at the time, the children of a place called Santoff Claussen. A place where children had lived peacefully and had not known fear or nightmares for the longest of times until Pitch had attacked the place. That was a long time ago though, Jack wasn't even a spirit when the Guardians had ended what they called The Fearling War. Jamie wasn't sure what that was all about and neither did Jack actually; North hadn't explained much about it other than that it was part of the reason the Guardians were formed in the first place. Jack had spent most of the previous years getting to know his fellow Guardians personally and only when at a meeting about some minor incident that he'd voiced his ignorance of the matter did North decide he had some catching up to do in terms of the history of spirits and the Guardians, as well as other things. Jamie was thinking of all this more than really paying attention to the movie.

"I was wondering, Jack... is learning from North about all that stuff like school?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, does he quiz you about the stuff you're learning?"

"Occassionaly, but not often. Why?" Jamie shrugged.

"Just wondering, bet that's more fun though than learning how gravity works." Jamie made a face that made both his sister and Jack laugh; Jamie was good enough in science, but he wasn't too fond of it. History wasn't something he liked too much either, after all if he really wanted to know history as it happened he could just ask Jack. Considering the Guardian HAD been around for the last 300 years or so. As it was a friday, Jack stayed the evening with Jamie and the two talked quietly and played some games in his room late into the evening until the boy suggested himself that they get some rest. Jack really didn't really need sleep but he knew Jamie did and agreed; he tucked the boy and stretched out along the side of the bed, his staff up against the nightstand and within reach. He didn't think he would need it any time soon, after all, there's really never been anything threatening to him or Jamie at the boy's house. The young teen was fast asleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow, Jack shook his head as he lay next to the boy; his best mortal friend. Sometimes he was afraid to sleep, even though he could and did sometimes when he was bored; but ever since he'd become a Guardian he'd had a nagging fear that if he went to sleep that everything he had would be whisked away. That he'd find himself alone; no Guardians, no believers, no Jamie... The thought terrified Jack more than anything really. It was something he didn't want to admit or that he'd been afraid that Easter that Pitch really had won because he knew that he couldn't beat Pitch on his own and the Guardians didn't have the strength to fight; if it hadn't been for Jamie... things could have... would have gone so differently. For all his willingness to protect his new friends, Jack had known then that he lacked the strength to truly defeat Pitch when he had been that powerful; Jamie's belief in the Guardians and his courage to stand up to Pitch had allowed him to turn the black sand back to dream sand. He had been the one responsible for Pitch's defeat; regardless, Jack had always felt drawn to the boy, had - in times past - pretended that Jamie's family was his own just to help him keep from going insane from the loneliness... from the reality he knew.

Jack shook away the thoughts, there was no reason for him to think about it now; especially when he realized the soft sound that had caught his attention was coming from Jamie who was curled up now and Jack realized that the boy's dreams must have become nightmares at some point. Jamie ran as hard as he could, but no matter how fast he ran the boogeyman was always there... always right behind him and just a few feet away from capture him and "snuffing out his light" for good.

" _Jack! North! Tooth! Bunny! Someone help!"_

" _No one to save you now boy." The taunting voice grates on him and Jamie runs faster, he stumbles over something and lets out a gasp of horror... it's Jack's staff, or pieces of it rather. No... no this couldn't be happening! A few feet away he notices the sprawled figure of Jack, he isn't moving and nearby the other Guardians are just as still._

"Jamie! Jamie wake up!" Jack shakes the teen, his eyes snap open and he bolts up.

"Jack!"

"Easy! It's okay, it was just a dream." Jamie panted a moment before his heart began to slow back down and he slowly calms down; seeing Jack though he hugged the winter spirit.

"Hey now... it's okay." Jack held the boy close as Jamie began shaking. Jack didn't ask about the dream. _That had to be pretty bad of one to scare Jamie like this..._ He thought, as he hadn't had to comfort Jamie from such a dream since that first year. Jamie couldn't remember the last time he'd had a dream like that; especially about Pitch. He knew good and well that Jack wouldn't let anything happen to him and he'd been the one to stand up to Pitch hadn't he? Neither noticed the tiny shadow that slipped from beneath Jamie's pillow and out the window, it was in the shape of one of Tooth's fairies as it slipped through the night before disappearing into a shadow nearby that became darker than normal to allow the little shadow to travel. It came out in the dark, dead looking forest in Transylvania; it flew as fast as it could to carry the news to a lanky teen. His skin a chalk white, eyes as brilliantly orange as a pumpkin, his wind tousled hair, jet black; the smile he gave the little shadow as it fluttered to him was warm and kind. No one would ever suspect that this boy, who looked to be barely seventeen and wearing black jeans and a light, dark navy sweater, to be the spirit of Halloween.

"So... little Jamie still fears the boogeyman hmm? Or rather... he fears failing the Guardians, fears that what happened that Easter was all a dream... Interesting. Good work Nightengale. This information may yet be useful. Keep a close eye on the boy, but do not be seen." The fairy shadow bobbed its head and formed into the shadow of an owl before taking off into the night to do the bidding of the one it called king. As the shadow flitted off a figure dressed in all black slowly moved towards him.

"Jack, shall I change the boy? Make him one of us?" He turned to the figure before him, a boy about the age of seven looked back with blood red eyes beneath auburn hair. He was dressed in a T-shirt and jeans.

"No, I don't want to antagonize the newest Guardian."

"What would you have to fear from a seasonal?"

"More than you would know. Guardian is not a title given lightly Bret. Even if he is just a seasonal, there's something about him that allows him to be a Guardian and even an immortal like you would suffer greatly if you crossed them. Don't forget what happened to your kind when you tried uprising." The boy snorts in reply.

"Ancient history."

"That history is a warning. Now that there are five of them they will be stronger than ever. That boy that Jack has made a connection with... _He_ is no ordinary boy either. Not just any child could stand up to the boogeyman like that. Mark my words, Bret, do not cross me or do anything I have not said to the Guardians or the boy Jamie or anyone he knows. I will not be pleased if my plans are disrupted because you or one of yours gets it in their head to take on a new member for the fun of it. I won't protect you from the wrath of the Guardians if you choose to act on your own." Bret cringes and nods beneath Jack's fiery gaze.

"Halloween is nearly upon us, spread the word that we will begin preparations once Halloween has ended."

"As you wish." The boy transformed into a bat and flew off into the night.


	4. 3

What was taking so long? Jack floated outside the Bennett home, waiting for Jamie to come out; Sophie had come down with a cold and so she wouldn't be able to go trick-or-treating. Jamie had promised that he'd bring back candy for her. When Jamie came out Jack wasn't disappointed when he realized that Jamie was painted completely white and had on brown pants and a blue hoodie.

"Nice costume. How'd you swing that one?"

"Told my mom I wanted to go as you." Jack laughed a little.

"Well, you certainly look the part, well, save the hair... eyes... and no staff." Jamie rolled his eyes.

"I would have painted my hair if mom would have let me, as for my eyes... mom told me I was too young for contact lenses and that they're expensive... and that a staff might be seen as a weapon so... yeah."

"Wow, geez... talk about paranoid."

"Tell me about it."

"Sooooooo... are we gonna scare people this year?" Jamie grinned at the question and that was all of an answer Jack needed. A few hours later Jamie and Jack were doubled over laughing at the pond Jack called home, between them a couple of bags of candy.

"I can't believe that worked so well!" Jamie managed to say through his laughter.

"Told ya! That was lots of fun too!" Jamie nodded in agreement; there was something satisfyingly fun about scaring the crap out of his friends who had once believed in the Guardians as he did. The fact that they had left handfuls of candy behind from their fright was just a bonus and Jamie had been collecting handfuls of extra candy that way after hitting most of the houses in his neighborhood; it hadn't taken him long to do so with Jack's help. They'd even hit a few extra houses for his sister's sake before they'd started their prank, the candy some kids left behind was a bonus really though Jamie never took more than a small handful from dropped bags and didn't scare anyone who was younger than himself. After all, he wasn't doing this prank to be mean and it didn't feel right to take ALL the candy that had been left behind.

"You realize you're gonna have to make up for this right?" Jack said after a moment as they finally stopped laughing.

"Yeah, I'll find a way to although all the extra candy I got is going to Sophie as much as most of what I picked up anyway... that has to count for something if not all of it."

"Good point kiddo. I just hope I can avoid North for a while, bad enough I'm here as it is."

"What do you mean?" Jack snapped his mouth shut; he hadn't meant to say that. He shifted his gaze from Jamie to the stars above.

"Jack?" Jamie tried after a long moment of silence passed between the two of them.

"You know you can tell me anything... right?" Jack was still silent, but after another long stretch of silence Jack answered.

"The others, they don't want me hanging around you anymore."

"Why not?"

"Because you're growing up. Part of growing up is leaving behind childhood... and ... forgetting."

"If growing up means forgetting you, I don't want to ever become a grown up; you're my best friend. I don't want to lose you." Jack turned to Jamie, his eyes bright as stars before he hugged the boy.

"I don't want to lose you either."

"I promise that I'll always believe. No matter what happens."

"I know you will." Jack murmured as he held close his first believer, his strongest believer... no one believed like Jamie did; his belief had been the strongest even when faced with so much doubt and darkness that Pitch had promised the world to be by crushing belief around the world. Only Jamie had still believed by the time Easter evening had come and it had been his flame of belief that had helped save the world from Pitch's dark future.

"Come on, the night's still young, we got more kids to scare!" Jamie laughed at Jack's enthusiasm and the two raced off. A pair of eyes peered out from a nearby shadow, watching the young Guardian and his believer race off. The next day that Jamie woke he almost whooped in glee when he saw the frost along his window and the snow on the ground. Jack never disappointed. He raced to get dressed and go out and play in the snow, it was a Sunday after all and that meant a day to play!

"Jack!" Jamie called as he opened the door, the young Guardian was grinning at him from his seated position on the fence.

"Morning kiddo! Ready for some fun?"

"You bet!" Jamie didn't see any of his former friends, but then again since they'd drifted apart... well, they didn't believe anymore but still he'd hoped they'd emerge from their rooms as they had years before, ready to play with him and Jack. It was still a disappointment that they had so easily forgotten that they'd been the ones to save the world from Pitch. He brushed it off. He wasn't going to let that fact ruin his day with his best friend. Jamie happily spent the entire day in the woods, building an elaborate snow fort with Jack, having a snowball fight with him though the fight was better - he thought - with more than just two but he was getting better... he'd hit Jack once or twice, much to the winter spirit's surprise. He didn't doubt that Jack made things more fun, but in the back of his mind he knew it wasn't the same without his friends. As Jack had said, it was a part of growing up; to be honest, Jamie didn't want to grow up if it meant forgetting Jack. If it meant not believing he wanted to be a child forever. He didn't want to leave his friend. Jack had spent enough time alone, Jamie had never said anything but he hadn't thought it very fair that Jack had been alone for so long. In fact, he was pretty sure if he'd been alone for that long he'd have gone nuts. Somehow, though, Jack had managed to keep his sanity... as far as Jamie knew anyway, AND he was Jamie's best friend. Always would be. Jamie was certain of that. His greatest fear was losing belief in Jack and not being able to see him... something that he'd kept to himself. He didn't have the nerve to tell even Jack of his fear. Of the fear that time would eventually rip them apart and Jack would be alone again... He never wanted Jack to be alone again. So what if he looked silly to others? Looked like he was playing by himself without a friend in the world, skating on a pond with no one there but him... he didn't care.

As long as he could make sure Jack was never alone it was fine by him. Jamie was exhausted by the end of the day, but it was worth it to see Jack smile. He didn't know it, but Jack felt the same way; he put all he had into playing with Jamie when the boy came out to see him. He felt guilty that Jamie's other friends had stopped hanging around him because of him. As much as he knew he should stop seeing Jamie soon, to let him move on and grow up... he wanted just a few more years with his first believer. The boy wasn't a teenager yet, so... was it so wrong to spend the last few childhood years with him? Jack didn't consider a moment of it wasted, as long as he was with Jamie he was happy. Jamie was his first believer, his strongest still... and he was trying to make as many memories as he could for the time he knew was coming but didn't want to think about. He saw it every time he saw the boy, Jamie was getting older... and getting older meant forgetting and moving on. Jack had watched Jamie's mother tuck him in, he'd hung around; waiting for her to leave and he and Jamie had talked about new ideas and future snow fights. Jamie had talked and talked, Jack had listened and eventually the boy had yawned and drifted off to sleep in the middle of talking about how much fun he'd had. Jack stared at his sleeping form with a sad smile. He hadn't told Jamie, but this would be his last winter with the boy. Once Jamie turned fourteen... he'd be considered to be too old for Jack and the other Guardians. He'd be a teenager... So if Jack had lingered in the room with the boy for a few more hours, just watching him sleep... who would blame him? Or if he paced the room, memorizing every detail for a future time when the boy would be gone... replaced by a man... a man who would go out and make his mark on the world and then pass on... as all mortals did. Jack shook away the depressing thoughts, but it didn't stop the silent tears. He knew he would miss Jamie. More than he'd ever missed anyone in his life. He'd known the boy since Jamie's mother had made the decision to move to the little house next to his pond, where his own home had once stood... and raise her family there. How many times had he pretended he was part of the family? That he was the black sheep who stayed out past curfew if only to feel some sense of normality... to keep from losing to the loneliness that constantly threatened to engulf him until that fateful Easter... Everything had changed then. Jack had his first believers, but Jamie... Jamie would always be special to him, would always have a special place in his heart. He looked at the boy one last time for the evening; knowing that Jamie would grow up without ever knowing just how special he was to Jack. At least, that was what he thought as he flew back to the pole; Jamie didn't settle into sleep until Jack had actually left. It was routine honestly, no matter how tired he was... he never settled fully into sleep until the winter spirit had left... and he'd figured out there was a reason Jack always stuck around so long... but he wasn't sure what that reason was exactly. Rather, he didn't like to think about what the reason might be because he wanted to stay friends with Jack forever.


	5. 4

Planes buzzed, balls bounced, trains whistled and tooted while Yetis tried them out in one of the many rooms at the Workshop. Things were as busy as one expected, more so really because now there were only fifty-one days until Christmas Eve. Everything had to be in working order, painted, sewed up, stuffed and put together before the big night.

"Pick it up everybody!" North's voice boomed across the noisy place, it wasn't unusual that the normally jolly Guardian was a little more demanding than usual. He was always this way around this time of the year and it only got worse right up until Christmas Eve. North always knew who was naughty and who was nice, knew who wanted what for that year and never failed to have it delivered. Still, ever since the early years North had become always antsy about making his rounds; he and the other Guardians, except for Sandy, had to invent new ways to get around the planet quickly in order to not miss out on their deadlines. Bunny had crafted his tunnels and North had his snow globes. For centuries things had gone smoothly, although about five years back there was that deal with Pitch, but that hadn't affected any holiday but Easter. Since that time the other Guardians had promised to help one another more; it wasn't until that time that they had realized how vulnerable they had made themselves by keeping to their own jobs alone. They had nearly lost everything they and MiM had fought for in a single night, their saving grace had been the belief of one boy... Jamie Bennett, and the fun-loving, mischievous winter spirit, Jack Frost. North would be among the first to admit that things had been pretty bad... and they'd made mistakes with Jack that year, mistakes they were doing their best to make up for. It was always fun, having Jack around for the various holidays of the year and while North had once told Jack he could have anything he desired for Christmas, the youngest Guardian had yet to actually take him up on the offer. North always had a gift for the boy though, as he did for his fellow Guardians when they celebrated once he had returned to the Workshop. Something they had started doing the year Jack had joined them after they had celebrated their victory over Pitch. It wasn't strange that there was cold chill in the air as the yetis worked, which was probably why none of them noticed the spirits until it was too late. In less than an hour the normally busy Workshop was silent as a tomb...

Jack flew towards the Workshop, he had just finished spreading some snow and waving to some new believers. It was hard to believe so many children around the world knew about that Easter! Then again, it was thanks to Jamie who had kept it up. Despite being bombarded with questions all of the time in emails Jamie kept alive belief in him and the other Guardians. It was pretty cool, Jack had to admit. As he flew into the skylight though he noticed something was wrong. The Workshop was NEVER this quiet... Concerned, he flew about and as he saw the damage to toys and things all about the place his concern turned to worry.

"NORTH!" He called. He flew about the place, went from room to room; shouting with more and more worry. The place was a mess and empty, it seemed. No elves, no yetis... no North... Jack flew back to the globe, he looked at it... all the lights were still on same as always. What was going on?! Was it Pitch? Jack looked at the console and stared.

"Calm down Jack... just need to get the others... now how did North say this worked..." He closed his eyes, trying to remember what North had taught him before he hit a few switches; one of which was the wrong one as the globe momentarily stopped turning only to resume a few minutes later...

"Okay, not that one..." He mumbled to himself. He then pulled the lever up, twisted and pushed in. _Success..._ Jack felt uneasy as he waited by the console. The first to arrive was Tooth, followed by Bunny and Sandy.

"What's this about an emergan-" Bunny stopped as he sniffed the air suddenly.

"What's going on?" Tooth asked even as Sandy floated in beside her.

"I don't know. This was what I came to just a few minutes ago... I was only gone a few hours..." Jack began, worry etched on his features.

"Where's North?" Bunny asked, glancing around with narrowed gaze at the destruction around them.

"I don't know. I've only been here a few minutes. All I know is that I came back from Jamie's to... this." Bunny frowns.

"Ain't just no one who can do this."

"But who would do such a thing?" Tooth asked, eyes wide as she looked around. Sandy seemed worried as well. He asked the same question that was on Jack's mind:

Is Pitch back?

"No, mate... he never cared about destroying the toys and such and there's no black sand. Jack would have noticed that as would I." Jack felt only slightly relieved. So it wasn't Pitch... then who?

"Then who?" Tooth asked, voicing the question that came to Jack's mind.

"Only one spirit I know of that would hold a grudge like that..."

"Who?" Jack asked before anyone else could. A pumpkin floated over Sandy's head.

"Sandy's right... Jack Ol' Tern, better known as the Pumpkin King, the spirit of Halloween."

"Wait... there's a spirit of Halloween?"

"Yes Jack, every holiday has a spirit. Didn't North tell you?" Tooth asked. Jack shook his head.

"That was supposed to be the next lesson he was going to give me, was on holiday spirits. We just finished covering seasonals and their court."

"Jacko, as he's sometimes called, isn't usually like this. I've met the bloke. Once." Jack raised an eyebrow, wondering what cause Bunny would have for being about during the season of Halloween.

"Story for another time mate. What ya need know is he an' North got a grudge."

"Like you and him?"

"Nah mate, sure North and I don't see eye-ta-eye on holidays... but that's not a grudge. See, ol' Jacko loves his holiday, same as anyone, but he was in love with tha' period everyone calls the Dark Ages. He loved that people were easy ta scare. Not so much nowadays. Takes more an' more work. No one believes much in him and he's always hated that North got all the stories and glory while he got none."

"I can't say I blame him about the belief, but I can't claim to understand this whole grudge thing just over a holiday." Bunny shrugs.

"Not somethin' I k'n jus' explain ta someone who don't have one."

Silence, this was unusual. He woke groggily, where the heck was he? The place was dark and silent as... North was alert instantly.

"So, you're finally awake." In the darkness of the room North's eyes narrowed onto the pale figure not far away. Was that Jack? No, Jack didn't dress like this youth... He took a long look at him.

"Jacko."

"I'm glad you remember me. It's been such a long time North."

"Vhat is the meaning of this?! Vhat have you done?!"

"Oh, nothing much. All I did was invite you here, but of course you're stubborn as usual." North tugged at the chains keeping him bound to the bed. He could sit up, but that was mostly the extent of what the chains allowed him to do.

"Don't mind that. I'm sure you'll find this comfortable to your needs. I'm not a monster after all."

"Vhat depends on view."

"I suppose, but then again you would say that." He smiled.

"Vhat do you vant from me?"

"Nothing, but then again that is always what you gave me right? Never really acknowledging me after you and your precious Guardians spoiled my good time. Oh I've been watching you closely. Very closely. You see, I know that without your believers you're nothing. I watched your battle with Pitch. He was so close too... if only it wasn't for that little upstart, Jack Frost."

"You von't get way with this." Jacko laughed.

"Who's going to stop me? Certainly not your little Guardians and least of all Jack Frost and his band of friends. I'm just getting what's coming to me North, just like you are getting what's coming to you. Soon enough your little holiday will be nothing but a distant memory and then I'll finally get the recognition I _deserve._ "

"Zhat is what zhis is about?"

"Always has been. Don't worry, your little minions are safe and sound too. I wouldn't dream of hurting them unnecessarily... but then again, I won't be so kind to anyone who gets in my way otherwise." North stared at the pale child before him, Jacko of course was no child, but he wondered how it was that the spirit of a child could grow so cold when Jack, who was like him, had turned out so differently...

"You won't get away vith thiz!"

"I already have. Adiu North." Once the spirit had left North decided to take a closer look at his surroundings. He couldn't really see the cuffs too well in the dim light, but they seemed to be normal, iron shackles; much like the real solid stuff they'd used in days gone by and too strong for him to break by force alone. The bed he sat on seemed normal enough, but the sheets that adorned it were a dull blood red rather than the cheerful bright red of his own bed chambers back at the Workshop. The frame was black and seemed to disappear into an equally dark carpet. He wasn't uncomfortable, aside from the chains, by any means. If anything, Jacko wasn't cruel to his prisoners. Ruthless, perhaps, one might call him but he wasn't what North would call cruel. The only light in the room came from half melted wax candles on a wooden, black chandelier above and one Jack-o-lantern that stood on a night stand at the other end of the room near the door. The room didn't have any windows that North could distinguish in the dim light. If there were any they likely had something to block out any light. He wondered what had become of Phil and the other yetis who had struggled against Jacko's forces. He hoped that they were well. He decided that he would try his best to escape this prison; he couldn't simply allow Jacko to destroy Christmas.

Jacko left North to think on what he'd said. He doubt that the Guardians would be able to stop him; after all, they wouldn't know where to find him. He didn't actually intend to do anything really to destroy the holiday much as Pitch had tried to destroy the Guardians. All he needed was for North to stop delivering gifts year after year. His minions would do the rest, easily keeping parents from ever getting the idea of putting "from Santa" on any of the gifts they gave... it would be so easy then, a couple of years wait and no one would remember the one that the world called "Santa Claus." It was just too easy. So fragile was a child's belief, so easy would the Guardian become a "fairy tale" even to the children he protected. It was only a matter of time and Jacko had nothing but. He could wait. He had waited so long already had he not?


	6. 5

The scream woke Jamie. He shot up, he didn't know that scream; he'd never heard it before... He went to see who it belonged to and was shocked to realize that the scream had come from his mother.

"Mom?" Jamie asked tentatively as he stood in the doorway.

"J-jamie."

"A-are you... okay?" She nodded.

"I-it was just a dream is all." A dream? His mother had a nightmare? Weren't those only supposed to happen to children?

"I didn't wake you, did I?" Jamie didn't want to really admit that his mother had so he shook his head.

"No, I was getting up to get a drink of water. I was heading back to my room when..."

"Is Sophie up too?" Jamie shook his head. Sophie could sleep through most anything as far as he'd noticed.

"C-can I sleep here with you?" She looked at him oddly, but Jamie couldn't just tell her that he could chase away the Nightmares. After all, no adult had been aware of what had happened Easter evening five years ago. No adult ever would, though there had been reports on some of the damage left behind, many had brushed it off as a freak winter storm's doing. Jamie hadn't thought much of it then but he thought it hilarious now that adults could be so obtuse to what was right in front of them at times. His mother, after all, hadn't noticed the five gifts that Jamie had found on his window sill the following morning from each of the Guardians. He hadn't asked his friends if they'd gotten anything because when he'd seen the gifts he had a feeling that he'd been special... that the gifts had meant something. What exactly he wasn't sure. After all, the snow globe North had left him was just a normal one and there wasn't anything special about the egg Bunny had left aside from the fact that the egg had actually was made of glass instead of being a real egg; the money left by Tooth wasn't anything really special any more than a small figurine of a horse made of glass that glittered with what looked like some of the Sandman's dream sand. His most precious treasure, however, had been the tiny snowflake left to him by Jack. It was as cold as any ice, but it never melted in his hands; it was always cold, just like Jack's skin. Jamie kept that one close at hand in a small pouch he wore about his neck. It was never far from him and when he'd felt a little lonely for the Guardian he'd take it out and hold it close, feeling its coolness against his fingers. He could almost feel it now, it was still around his neck and his mother didn't know about it; had no idea he had it anymore than she knew about the Guardians or how close Jamie felt to Jack.

"It's just... well... I woke up earlier from a bad dream." He muttered after what seemed like a long, uncomfortable silence.

"Alright then." Jamie climbed in next to her and watched as she settled back to sleep. He pretended to go to sleep too, but the memory of his mother's scream kept him awake; he kept an eye out for nightmares. He didn't see any though, but he didn't see Sandy's sand either; did Sandy send dreams to adults? Jamie thought about that as he stayed awake even after he heard his mother's breathing even into sleep.

He saw it then... just a small shadow of what looked like a Nightmare starting to form over his mother; it wasn't like any Nightmare he'd seen though. It wasn't a horse, in fact it wasn't an animal at all but more like a human-like figure with eyes that weren't yellow but a dark red and the thing seemed to sneer at him while his mother twitched a little. Jamie touched the thing, and nearly yelped when it bit him. He looked at his finger, it had drawn blood... He looked back at the Nightmare though, it was starting to disappear; crumbling like an invisible wind was blowing it away. Jamie frowned at this as his mother settled again, peaceful. What could be causing this? It had never occurred to him that adults could be influenced by Nightmares, but that hadn't looked at all like a Nightmare. It had looked like something... else. Jamie knew he needed to talk to Jack about this... but how was he going to get ahold of Jack? Then he recalled what Jack had once told him about the pond. Maybe that was it. Jamie watched his mother for a while, looking for any more signs of the dark thing he'd seen, but it seemed to be gone for the evening. Just like the normal Nightmares. Jamie got up and got a bandaid for his finger before climbing back into bed with his mother. Something didn't feel right. He wasn't sure what it was, but he was sure that things weren't the way they were supposed to be. He didn't notice one of such things swung away from the window of his mother's room and ran through fog to reach the ghostly realm that belonged to Jacko. It reappeared in a room that was lit only by various candles scattered about and a fireplace; Jacko was sitting in a pitch black plush chair reading a book about vampires.

"Hmm?" The pale figured turned from the book when one of his newest minions began to report in a soft hiss as it sat at his feet.

"I see... this boy must be the Last Light then from those years ago." The thing hissed again.

"Yes, yes that is troublesome, but I do not think he will pose a problem to us. I won't make the mistake that Pitch did. I'm not out to rule the world like he was after all. Warn your brethren to keep away from that house." The thing wandered off to do as commanded. Jacko's eyes slid to the fire.

"I had hoped the boy would not interfere. It could be a problem if he does." Jacko murmured to himself. The reason he was aware of this was because while immortals could not find his realm if he didn't want them to, the same could not be said of mortals; it was his way of keeping away unwanted guests. No mortal would just willingly wander into one of the portals, but this boy... Jacko was aware that he might very well have the needed bravery to find such a portal and lead the other Guardians straight to it. While Jacko didn't think he'd have much trouble with them, their newest addition troubled him. Jack Frost was not a force he wanted to face up against. Elementals were often bothersome as it was, but Jack Frost wasn't just some elemental. He was the head of them. Whether the boy knew it or not, he was currently the sole bringer of Winter. It was a wonder that Mother Nature had not stepped in to bring the boy to her Court of Seasons. He dismissed the thought. He didn't care much for Mother Nature or her workings; he left her to do her work and she left him to do his, that was all that mattered to him. The reason that Jack Frost was the only winter spirit had to do with the cold-heartedness of his predecessor who had brought about the first Ice Age to man and had been trying to bring about a second just for his own purposes only to have had to be executed by the other seasonals in a great battle that had meant the beginning of warmer weather for many places.

There were still a few places, however, that suffered from his cursed magic that had tried to make the world into an Ice Age, such as Russia. Many of the harsh winters there weren't just due to the location of the country, though humans tried to use science to explain away the wintery magic that still was embedded so deeply into the soil that it caused great storms to form beyond even Jack Frost's control. The spirit was only 300 years old, Jacko, on the other hand, was older by far. He had been a spirit before Jack had even been born. He vaguely remembered his old life, how he had once been like Jack... human.

The next day Jamie sprinted from school straight to the pond. His friends had watched him in some concern as he'd told them over lunch what had happened the night before. They'd all had similar stories. When Jamie reached the pond he was disappointed to find that Jack wasn't around. He scrounged through the dead leaves and thin layer of snow to find some pebbles. He began to chuck them at the pond one by one; he wasn't even sure if this would work but he had to do something... Nightmares didn't attack adults... did they? What had that thing been? Jamie was about to throw another pebble when a familiar voice called out.

"Hey! Cut it out!" Jamie spun around to find Jack floating down towards him.

"Jack!" Jack had been annoyed at the constant "tapping" he'd felt at his pond from the pebbles. It hadn't occurred to him that Jamie had been the culprit, but seeing it had made him a bit irritated at the boy until he saw the look in his best believer's eyes. Jamie had a good reason for doing it.

"Jamie... what's wrong?" Concern flickered over his features and Jamie spilled the whole story of what had happened the night before and how he'd talked to the others, how they'd all had similar stories of how their parents had woke them with screams... Jack frowned slightly.

"Jack... is Pitch back?" Jack shook his head.

"I don't think so kiddo."

"But the Nightmares... they were just that weren't they?"

"I wish I knew. Look, Jamie, I don't want you doing that again. I know you love your mom, but don't touch those things."

"Why not?"

"Because they aren't normal Nightmares."

"It seemed to be one... except... how it looked." Jack sighed.

"Have you ever heard of something called a Night Terror?" Jamie shook his head.

"Well, that's what that was. They're dangerous, they prey on adults."

"So... what do we do then? It can't just be coincidence everyone's parents having these things all of the sudden."

"You're right. It's not." Jamie frowned, he noticed that his friend looked deeply troubled as he glanced away.

"Jack... what is it you're not saying?"

"It's nothing. It's just Guardian business."

"Jack, please. If I can help... let me." Jack glanced around to make sure they were alone. They were of course, hardly anyone came by the pond aside from Jamie and his friends.

"You remember you asking me if there was a spirit of Halloween?" Jamie nodded.

"There is." Jamie would have thought that was so cool except the look in his friend's eyes meant this wasn't good news.

"The others and I haven't been around because we've been trying to find North. We think Jacko, the King of Halloween, has taken him. He has a grudge against him, something about their holidays."

"What can I do to help?"

"Just keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Call me again if you notice anything other than the Night Terrors." Jamie nodded. So there really was a spirit of Halloween... why was this spirit a bad guy like Pitch though? Jamie had a thousand questions going through his head now but he didn't ask.

"Promise me you'll keep this to yourself." Jamie nodded reluctantly. This wasn't good news at all; Christmas was in two months. They had that much time to find North and rescue him. Jamie wondered how he could get his friends to help without raising suspicion. Then it hit him, he had an English paper due that was supposed to be creative writing... what better excuse?

"I promise Jack."

"Good, now I have to get back to the others." Jamie nodded and watched his wintry friend fly off. He headed straight for Pippa's house first. She was the closest to his house after all and Monty lived next door to her... He knocked on the door.

"Jamie!" Pippa said with a smile but it faded when she saw the serious look on his face.

"Pippa who is it?" A woman called from another room.

"Just Jamie mom!"

"You have homework to do!"

"He came over to help me!"

"Alright then."

"Actually I need your help." Jamie murmured and stepped into the house. The two sat on the couch and while pretending to help her with her history homework, which she did as she listened to Jamie talk quietly.

"I talked to Jack, he said it wasn't anything to worry about; that they're handling it." He hated lying to his friend, but what else could he do? Jack had asked him to keep it secret.

"I have an English paper due soon and I decided to do mine on the mysterious spirit of Halloween. Pippa paused in writing the last bit and looked over at him strangely. He wanted what?

"How are you planning to get that by them?"

"It's a creative assignment, but honestly I want to know more about this spirit and I need everyone's help with it." Pippa nodded.

"Monty and I can help you find books on the subject while you search the Internet with the twins." Jamie smiled at her.

"Thanks Pippa." She nodded and he left once she'd close the history book. Jack might not want him interfering with the Night Terrors, but that didn't mean he couldn't still help. He was going to find out everything he could about this so called spirit and help Jack any way he could.


	7. 6

Jamie's assignment wasn't due until next week, which gave the six children more than enough time to hunt through every avenue that they could. When books and the Internet seemed to fail the kids turned to asking other kids about stories that they might have heard. It was Saturday afternoon when they all met at Jamie's house for a "study" session.

"Any luck?" Jamie asked, the twins shook their heads.

"Sorry, no luck here." Cupcake said.

"Same." Pippa replied.

"Well... I _might_ have something..." Monty said. All of the children turned to him. He shifted nervously.

"I heard a story, from my brother who heard it from a friend of his."

"What's this story?" Jamie prompted when the other boy fell silent.

"Well, it's about a boy named Jake and his friends. Apparently they'd dared him to spend the night in the local cemetery on Halloween night. Saying that if he didn't do it he was chicken. Not wanting to seem afraid in front of them, he agreed. So they all went there, but things didn't feel right; it seemed scarier at night. Even worse, there was a low hanging fog that evening that just made things worse. Still, true to his word, Jake went in. That was the last anyone saw of him, the fog in the cemetery was so thick none of the boys could see and all they heard was a piercing shriek in the night. The boys left their friend in their fright. When they went back though an hour or so with more friends they decided to search the place, but not a trace could be found of their friend. Everyone searched and searched, but Jake was never heard from again." The others rolled their eyes, but Jamie had hung on to every word.

"Was it the Burgess Cemetery?" Monty shrugged.

"I donno, all I know is what my brother told me when he heard I was looking for stories that might revolve around the Pumpkin King. See, it was thought that Jacko snatched the boy up, but it's just a story."

"A very interesting one."

"Please, sounds like your typical ghost story." Cupcake replied.

"Maybe, but I'll take what I can get." Jamie didn't say anything else and neither did any of the others, the only one out of the group who knew Jamie stilled talked to Jack was Pippa; however, she had no idea he meant Jack Frost. He'd conveniently met a chat buddy online on the website they all had created whose name was Jack; Pippa was the only one who had made friends from when they'd all been on the website they'd created to help spread their story and get Jack more believers. That was years ago though and Pippa was the only one who had her own computer among them. So when Jamie mentioned Jack, she didn't think anything of it because she'd become friends with the same boy from another state who had heard about their story and had believed. So Pippa assumed that was who Jamie meant, the boy from the site, from a different state; he didn't have the heart to correct her and like the others, she'd stopped believing.

"Is something wrong?" Pippa asked, Jamie shook his head as he realized his thoughts must have been reflected in his eyes.

"No, was just thinking was all."

"So what now?" Cupcake asked.

"Well... ummm." Jamie was at a loss for a moment until an idea occurred to him.

"Find out as much as you can about Monty's story. Ask around, see if anyone else has heard it and if they know what it's origins are."

"Why do you need to know all that?" Caleb asks.

"Well, what's more believable? A ghost story from the brother of a friend or a story that you can trace back to its roots here in Burgess?"

"Good point." Claude remarks.

"Anything else you guys can find would be great. Thanks again for the help."

"Of course." Pippa says with a smile. Jamie returned it, he nearly lost the smile though when he saw Jack was hovering outside the window; watching them. Did he suspect? The look in Jack's eyes though made Jamie want to run out and hug him, to reassure him that he still believed no matter what the others thought or said. He didn't though. He didn't need them finding out about Jack and he could only sigh inwardly as the winter spirit touched the glass, leaving behind frost that curled along the windowpane before flying off. Jamie felt that he'd need to make it up to Jack some how. He wasn't sure how, but he'd figured something out. Later that night Jamie nearly groaned when he realized what had woken him. His mother was screaming again. This was the fifth time this week. Jamie decided maybe it was best for them all if he just slept in the same room with his mother. He grabbed his pillow and blanket and went to her room.

"I'm sorry Jamie, I hate to keep waking you up."

"It's okay mom. Why don't I just keep you company, it's worked the last times hasn't it?" He wasn't going to say that he was the only thing between her and the Night Terror things. She'd think he was nuts. She sighed.

"Maybe you're right."

"Get some rest mom, goodnight."

"Goodnight Jamie." She settled back down and once again Jamie saw another Night Terror. He had several cuts on his fingers now because every time he touched one, even though it turned into gold sand it would also manage to bite him or swipe a claw at him no matter how careful he was. He just hoped that Jack wouldn't notice. Not that a small cut was really going to hurt him. Worse come to worse he'd just say he didn't know how he got them. He hated the thought of that though. He didn't want to lie to Jack. It wasn't like he'd sought the Night Terror things out anyway. As he lay down he swore he heard a soft noise from the house next door... like someone was sobbing... It was getting worse, he realized. The more time this was taking the more and more people he heard about suffering from the Night Terrors; if this continued to go on without stopping than things were going to go downhill very quickly. Much as he'd avoided telling his friends about what Jack had told him, the kids in the school hadn't missed how tired their teachers were beginning to look and their own parents. Jamie was scared for them all. The adults were needed to run things, the kids couldn't do that! They weren't old enough... weren't prepared... Jamie wondered if Sandy could help.

Would the Guardian of Dreams be able to affect adults? Jamie decided that something needed to be done soon... so he did the one thing he'd never done before. As soon as it was lunch time, he'd eaten his fill and then skipped the rest of his classes. Jamie knew he'd get an earful from Jack, and later on from his mother most likely once she found out, but this was more important. He could always make up the work he missed later anyway. He headed straight to the pond and wasn't surprised to see Jack there.

"Aren't you out a little early?" Jack asked suspiciously.

"I cut class."

"Jamie, you know how I feel about that." Jack said with a sigh.

"Yeah, but this is important."

"More important than your education?"

"There's not going to be much of an education for me if the adults can't stay awake in class!" Whatever Jack was going to say next died on his lips when he saw the concern in his friend's eyes.

"It's getting worse Jack, it seems nearly the whole town is affected now. Every time I see an adult all I see is one more person who's lost a lot of sleep thanks to those things! Adults run the world Jack, we can't have them falling asleep like that or something terrible might happen! Lives could be ruined or worse... Jack, I'm really scared here. Please tell me you've found something." Jack sighed and shook his head.

"We've searched the entire globe, we can't find any trace of Jacko or even where he's at. It's like he disappeared without a trace."

"That's not possib... le..." Jamie trailed off.

"What is it?" Jack asked when he realized that Jamie had thought of something.

"A few days ago I asked the others to help me do some research on the Pumpkin King. I know you said to not go looking for anything and we didn't, I just wanted some background information."

"And?"

"Turns out to be a bust, but then Monty heard of a story about a boy who seemed to have disappeared without any reason. No one could find him. It was like he was never there. I asked the others to trace the origins of the story if they could; we've been asking around, so far it's been just "so and so told me" as far as answers."

"I think I've heard of that story actually."

"Really?"

"Yeah... the one where the boy is dared by his friends right? His name was Jake." Jamie's eyes widened a little and he nodded.

"Yeah!" How had Jack known? Wait, that was a silly question, he could have heard of it from around a campfire or something.

"Thought so. That's a true story."

"Huh? How do you know?"

"Because I was there." Jamie gave Jack an odd look.

"It's not a modern story Jamie. I was one of those friends. Jake Timbron." He paused a moment.

"We all thought he was messing around though when he'd screamed because we knew him to be as good at playing pranks as the rest of us. Instead of fleeing though, we went to investigate; after all, we thought he was faking." Jack's normal smile fell, he seemed sad now as he leaned back against the tree he'd been sitting in when Jamie had appeared.

"We searched and searched... sent the dogs out too but they couldn't find him either. No one knew what happened to him. Rumors flew around the incident but no one really could explain it."

"Then... do you think Jacko got to him?"

"Hard to say. Whatever did though wasn't likely human and while there are ways to track magic I'm afraid it's not likely that there's any trace of whatever was used that night. It was too far back."

"That could be our answer though!" Jamie said, suddenly excited and it was Jack's turn to give him a funny look.

"What do you mean?"

"Well you said it yourself. Obviously something had to have happened that might have been magic. What if the cemetery was a portal? Sort of like North's globes, just waiting to be activated. All you have to do is just say the right thing or be there at the right time." Jack frowned thoughtfully.

"You might have something there kiddo." He grinned suddenly.

"What would I do with ya?"

"I donno." Jamie replied. It was something the two of them often joked about occasionally though both were aware that without Jamie things would be very different... Jack flew back the pole after giving his friend a hug and telling him that he'd be back when he knew more. He didn't want to involve Jamie in this but to him it was apparent Jamie didn't want to be left out whether or not Jack wanted him to be involved. The kid was smart; no doubt about that. He brushed the thought away as he went to talk with the other Guardians. Maybe... He was hoping that Jamie was right. That, like North's snow globes, a cemetery could act as a gateway to the place where North was. As he neared the pole another thought struck him, maybe he should have told Jamie to tell his friends to stay away from cemeteries... but then again what excuse could Jamie come up for that? If Jamie's hunch was correct then the population had been in danger for years of being snatched up on the whim of some holiday obsessed nut who got off on scaring the crap out of everyone. Yeah, that didn't go well in his mind. He figured he'd talk to Jamie about it when he got back, for now...

"Faster wind!" The wind picked up at his command and he shot like a rocket towards the speck in the distance that he knew was the Workshop.


	8. 7

"I thought ya were gonna keep the ank'e biters outta this!" Jack sighed as Bunny gave him a hard look.

"I did. Jamie and his friends did this on their own. I didn't ask them to."

"Well... it is possible that they are on to something. Let's see if North's library has a book on it." Sandy had been silent the whole time. Jack wasn't sure if this meant the little Guardian disapproved of Jamie's actions as much as he did or not. The four spread out in the library and spent hours combing through the books before Bunny called out.

"I found somethin' mates!" They gathered around to see what he'd found.

"Lil' obscure... but look." They looked at the book, which read:

Some spirits, normally those who have a connection to the living realm, can and often do create portals that can allow interaction with the living under certain conditions. Normally requiring a certain time, when the spirit is at the peak of their power or when a certain condition is met; such as being at a specified place at a specified time.

"Jake..." Jack murmured. The others looked over at him expectantly.

"It's nothing, I'll explain when all of this is over." Bunny nods.

"So how are we supposed to know the when and where?" Tooth asked, her wings fluttering nervously.

"I already know. Come on. Much as I hate to say it... we're going to need Jamie's help." The others looked at him like he was nuts.

"Look, I like this even _less_ than you do, but like the book says... under certain conditions." Bunny nodded slowly.

"Well, let's go then. Meet ya there." Bunny thumped his foot and was gone in seconds down a tunnel, leaving Jack, Sandy and Tooth to fly back to Burgess. Bunny's arrival in the Bennett's backyard was met with a squeal of delight and he couldn't help but smile as Sophie ran over to him.

"Hey there lil' ank'e biter."

"Not so little anymore!" Protests the seven year old pouted.

"Yeah... ya growin' up alright."

"What's the occassion for the visit?" Jamie asked.

"I'll let Jack tell ya that when he gets here." Jamie sat down on the porch to wait while Bunny played with his sister in the snow. He helped her make snow angels and finished the snowman that he and she had been working on when he had appeared. In fact, by the time Jack, Tooth and Sandy arrived it was almost dark and Sophie had gone inside for some hot coco.

"Ye alright mate? Ya look cold." Bunny remarked moments before Jack arrived. Jamie just shook his head and smiled when he saw Jack.

"Hey Jack!" Bunny watched as the boy's eyes lit up with a spark only for the winter spirit and he could see it was returned in kind when Jack landed.

"Hey Jamie."

"Hi Jamie!"

"Hey Tooth, Sandy... wait, you're all here? What's going on?" Jamie asked suspiciously. Jack's smile faltered a little.

"Well... we need your help kiddo."

"Really?" Jack nodded, his expression serious.

"We need you to help us get into Jacko's realm so we can find North and end all this."

"What do I have to do?"

"I hate to ask this... but you're going to have to sneak out with us tonight. We're going to the cemetery." Jamie raised an eyebrow.

"You remember that tale I told you was real?" Jamie nodded slowly.

"Well... I think we lost Jake to Jacko. I think that the cemetery was a portal."

"Yeah... but you said that was on Halloween right? Wouldn't we need for it to be on Halloween?" Jack shook his head.

"Today's calendars aren't the same as what we used back then to keep track. So Halloween was whenever we decided it was... or more accurately, when the grown ups did. So if we're there at the right time, it shouldn't matter what time of the year it is. The portal should be open."

"How are we going to find it?" Jamie asked after a moment.

"Already thought of that mate. Ya just have to be there with us."

"Might I ask why?"

"Because we're recreating that story... and that night there were five of us." Bunny looked at Jack questioningly but Jack brushed it off. Jamie didn't miss the look however and had a feeling that Bunny knew about as much about Jack's past as he did... he wondered why that was.

"So, when do we leave?"

"As soon as your mom puts you to bed. Hide some warm clothes under your bed to change into before we go." Jamie nodded and went inside when he heard his mother calling.

"Jamie! Dinner!"

"Guess I'd better go. Mom won't let me back outside again though. I'll see you guys later." Jack nodded and the four watched Jamie go before settling themselves down to wait. Jack built them an ice house to keep the wind away from Bunny and Tooth. The two seemed grateful for that as they settled to wait.

"I donno how eskimos do it." Bunny commented as Jack hovered about, frosting the ice "hut" he'd made for them.

"Well for one thing kangaroo, they usually skin local animals for their fur."

"I didn't want that answered ya dill." He said, but there was no heat in his words and Jack merely grinned while Tooth shook her head. This had become a normal thing. It was amazing, in her mind, how Jack had so easily fit into their little group after that fateful Easter. Jack and Bunny had resolved their differences; in fact Bunny treated Jack like he was an annoying younger brother and Jack seemed more than happy to play along. The hour to fetch Jamie couldn't come soon enough for Bunny, he was eager to get this over with and get back to worrying about normal things for once and get out of the cold weather.

He watched as Jack hoovered by Jamie's window. What was he waiting for? He could hear murmured conversation and then the click of a light. Oh... right. After several minutes passed Jack turned around, he was not looking in the window. What the heck? Oh... wait he had asked Jamie to put on warm clothing hadn't he? Well that was fine and dandy that the winter spirit respected the boy's privacy and all but couldn't they hurry this up? He was freezing! He nearly cried out in relief when he saw Jack turn and grin before hoisting the boy out of the window. He was bundled up tight and he'd left some clothes piled beneath the blankets in case his mother decided to check up on him. She wouldn't know the difference. At least the boy hoped she wouldn't. He didn't like to think that he was leaving her defenseless to a Night Terror... but one night without him would be worth it to stop this whole thing. Jack lifted the boy over to the street and the other Guardians joined him; he hovered before them, Jamie clinging to him tightly, but the boy obviously trusted Jack not to drop him as Jack meet their eyes.

"Alright, let's go. I know where we're going so follow my lead." Jack floated high enough above street lamps to not be too illuminated with them as he flew off with Jamie; they didn't need anyone spotting a flying boy and Jamie's dark clothing helped him blend in with the night fortunately as the three Guardians followed their youngest comrade towards the center of the city. From there he shot off down a side street and veered from the main town near one of the few "forests" in the city itself. He alighted with his believer near the gates of the cemetery that lay just left of the "forest" area. Jack let Jamie down, but even though he smiled at the boy, Bunny and the others could see that their young member was struggling with this; they knew that Jack would never harm the boy and he certainly didn't like that he'd have to put him in any kind of danger. Bunny would bet his whiskers on that, not to mention the fact that re-creating something that had happened centuries ago was dangerous; particularly since it dealt with spirits.

"You won't be alone. I promise." Jack said quietly to Jamie who just smiled a little, but he was nervous. What if something went wrong and he was separated from Jack and the others? Could he really take on Jacko, the Pumpkin King, if he showed? The five of them slowly walked into the cemetery, Jamie leading them with Jack just inches behind the boy; they were alert for anything. Prepared for anything... or so they thought. Beneath a tree Jamie saw what looked like someone leaning against it; he stopped and tugged Jack's sleeve.

"What is it?" Jamie just pointed. Jack frowned thoughtfully until he noticed it too; a thin figure, about Jamie's height. Reddish brown hair and he was dressed in a black wool cloak that stopped just above his ankles. Jack's eyes widened and he froze.

"Jack?" Jamie had noticed this and Jamie felt a little scared when the boy suddenly opened his eyes, hazel eyes with a red tint to them surveyed the intruders upon the land that he considered his own. Jamie wondered why it was Jack seemed so shocked, why he was frozen like he was at Jamie's side. Did Jack know this person?

"Mate?" Bunny tried. There was no answer, but the boy seemed to smile as he locked eyes with the winter spirit.

"Jake." It was all Jack could say.


	9. 8

"Jack... you never change." The boy smirked. Jack just stared, a barely remembered friend from his childhood, one he had thought was lost, was standing right before him.

"Come back a little late haven't you?"

"Jake... I..." Jack fumbled. Jamie wondered just how close the two had been if Jack was fumbling like this. The other Guardians were wondering similarly as they watched in silence.

"Let me guess, considering those are the other Guardians I've heard about from the master I'd say you're not here for me." Jack's mouth, which had been open, clicked shut and he seemed to shake himself from the shock a little.

"We thought you were dead."

"I am. In a manner of speaking of course."

"You're... one of them."

"Very good Jack."

"Jack... what's that mean?" Jamie said, shifting a little."

"Ah, you must be Jamie." Jack shifted closer to Jamie at that, he felt nervous now.

"Wait... you're... a... but that's impossible."

"Really now? You stand beside a boy who was frozen and resurrected by the moon and you're saying it's impossible for me to be a vampire?" Jamie was silent to that.

"All this time... why? Why did you never come see me if you knew..."

"Because I did but you didn't recognize me Jack. You didn't even know where you were born!" He snarled suddenly, causing the Guardians to shift to protect Jamie and Jack as if the other were threatening to kill them.

"I see." It was all Jack said but in his years of being alone he didn't remember ever encountering anyone who tried to talk to him. Was he lying or was it that Jack, himself, simply did not remember encountering a vampire? No... wait... he had. He remembered now. He'd been simply icing some streets during Halloween when he'd come across Jake who had been trying to seduce a child to come with him... Jack had stopped him... had broken the hypnotic spell with a touch of cold and the child had fled. The vampire had then tried to talk to him. He didn't remember what either of them had said though, but he realized now that the vampire he'd confronted had indeed been his childhood friend.

"Do you want to know what happened that night Jack? The night you and the others dared me?" Jack said nothing.

"The fog, of course, obscured my view but I found myself suddenly staring into what I assumed was the eyes of death when a boy much like you are now found me. Oh, but it isn't who you are thinking. The Pumpkin King rarely uses these portals since the first fall of Pitch. No, a boy who looked just like you came to me... but he was shorter and had the reddest eyes I had ever seen. I was just a boy then so the other gave me quite the shock. I assume you heard my scream. I was so easily frightened back then... but then the boy took me. He immobilized me with his charm and I was easy prey. I became like him, a creature of the night; and he gave me everything I could ever wish for. Except one thing. My friends." He leaned back against the tree.

"I came back for you all one day... only to find that they had moved from the village and you... Well, I saw the hole in the ice and realized what had happened. It wasn't until I caught my first glimpse of you centuries later during one Halloween that I realized that you, Jack, had been the one who had fallen victim to the ice of the early spring that year." There was silence, now what? Jamie was uncertain. He had been fully prepared to deal with a possible fight with the Pumpkin King, but a friend of Jack's?  
"Why are you here Jake?"

"I was simply looking for my next meal. It was kind enough of you to bring me one." Jack narrowed his eyes at that.

"Don't you _dare_ touch Jamie."

"Touche. I don't remember you being so possessive Jack. Is it because you were alone for three hundred years?" Jack's grip on his staff tightened.

"You're not my friend." He said suddenly, the boy looked startled a moment.

"I beg your pardon?"

"My friend never would threaten anyone. He wouldn't have done the things you've had to because he had a generous heart. He could never take from someone else even when he was starving!" The boy stared a moment then frowned.

"You don't know what it's like, Jack, to crave blood and not have it. It's not like starving for food. It's more potent and much more... animalistic."

"I don't care! The Jake I knew never would have succumbed! He would have found another way or perished in trying! He NEVER would have killed another human!" Jake's eyes narrowed as Jack went on.

"He'd never hurt another living soul if he could help it! He hated just having to hunt and fish! He refused to do either despite what his father said! He didn't even kill the pests that often invaded our homes! My friend is _dead..._ and you... you're nothing but a monster."

"So be it."

"We have to open that portal some how." Tooth said, staring at the boy who had once been Jack's friend.

"Fools... you don't even realize you have crossed it! You are in my world now... for _we_ are the gate guardians." They didn't like the sound of that and soon enough it became apparent why. How had it escaped someone like Bunny that the tombstones didn't have names on them anymore? That a fog had risen around them? The tree the boy had leaning upon looked even more dead than normal. It's wood dark as if it had been dead for decades, at the very least if not longer. They had made it. They were in the realm of Halloween's king... At the boy's words, however, came what looked like a flock of bats. They were everywhere and many of them dropped low to become human... no... human formed vampires. Vampires weren't human any longer; they had long since lost what it meant to be human, most knew nothing of compassion or what it meant to have a heart. Some driven to insanity by their hunger, by the carving or simply by the acts they were forced to commit to continue existing without vulnerabilities.

"I don't like this." Bunny said quietly as more and more of them appeared.

"Get the boy." Jake hissed and the vampires let out a primal hiss before lunging forward.

Sandy's whips were already out and sent several vampires flying back without trouble; Tooth knocked the creatures back with swift blows as she danced away from the creatures that flew after and around her. Jack kept Jamie close to him in one arm while he froze any vampire that dared get too close. Several that leapt towards them were frozen in place while a bunch more attempted to drop on top of them from behind; Jack danced away from them and shot into the air, clutching onto Jamie who clung to Jack's arm. He was simply along for the ride with this as Jack danced through the air, weaving and dodging the bats and vampires alike. Bunny kicked several of them into tombstones and several tasted the stinging blows of his boomerangs but no matter how much they tried the vampires always got back up. The longer this went on, the more showed up. Suddenly he was there, Jack sent ice daggers at his former friend; Jake dodged the barrage and tried to get close to snatch Jamie away, a second hovered off to one side and Jamie suddenly felt a tug on his mind. Like he was being drawn towards the vampires. Jamie let go of Jack's arm as Jake dodged another icy blast from Jack and tackled him into the air; forcing Jack's grip to slip on Jamie.

"JAMIE!" Jack struggled with Jake even as Jamie fell, but he didn't fall far as several vampires swooped towards the boy only to miss when Tooth swooped in and grabbed him. The vampires converged on her now and she flew as fast as she could, dodging them and kicking at those that got too close. Jamie sat in her arms, limp like a doll and this worried her; she knew that the mortal boy was in the grips of the beasts for no mortal could resist the charms or mental commands of a vampire. That was why they were so dangerous. How had they become so numerous though without any of the Guardians knowing? Where were they all coming from? She swore that it was like being chased by bees now and had to fight off the bats they commanded with one hand as they too converged on her. She had heard what the vampire had said; she knew just as the others did that they were fighting for Jamie's life. Something slammed into her and she staggered, dropping Jamie, who was caught by a flying, furry blur... Bunny... The vampires hissed, leaving Tooth alone to converge on him; Jack struggled with Jake in the air before blasting him with an icy wind, forcing the vampire to let go. Jake was keeping Jack busy though and keeping him from helping his friends as he relentlessly attacked him. The charm that vampires had only worked on the living, the Guardians - even if Jack and Sandy had been the only ones to actually experience death - were beyond their influence. They had nothing but brute strength to use against them, but that was enough because unlike the Guardians, excluding Jack and Sandy, they were tireless. Toothiana and Bunny had physical limitations and they were starting to show as Tooth pressed to keep up with those that were now pursuing Bunny, trying to knock away as many as she could but she simply could not keep up with the numbers and several converged on her to get her off the trail. Dozens upon dozens chased Bunny through the rotted forest that now was where they had arrived at. Another time Bunny might have used more caution about running about a place he was unfamiliar with, but he had to protect Jamie. He could worry about being lost later once the boy was safe. Bunny began to pant, but he pressed his aching muscles forward, took deeper and deeper breaths as he tried vainly to outrun those who flew behind him. Suddenly he was surrounded and he realized quickly his tunnels didn't work when he attempted it; he bit off a curse in his own mind.

How had things gotten so bad so quickly? He sent out his boomerangs, but the weapons were batted away as they converged. Bunny held himself against the squirming Jamie who was trying to get him to let go.  
"OW! Geez!" Bunny cried out as Jamie bit him as the vampires seemed to block out whatever light was even there in the land. He only held Jamie tighter and curled up to protect the boy; he would never be entirely sure what happened next but he remembered the pain... then the boy was wrenched from him.

"No! Leave 'im alo-! Ack!" Then there was darkness.

North had stopped trying to break the chains, after several tries he'd found himself unsuccessful in each attempt. He wondered and worried about the others. Was Jack okay? How long would it take them to find out he was missing? How would they find him? Could they? What about all the boys and girls who were counting on him? Would the others take up his job and deliver the gifts? Had the yetis completed everything on time? Who was there to watch the elves and make sure they didn't get into too much trouble? What about the reindeer? Who was caring for them? He wondered about all of this and found himself saddened by these thoughts. No, he had had to have faith in the others that they could handle things. Hadn't Jack proven himself when they'd fought Pitch? He'd been so resourceful, after all hadn't he managed to get the Last Light to believe in him after centuries of failure? To continue to believe in them? He had inspired the boy to stand and fight with him, without even trying and he had, in turn, inspired his friends to stand with him. The mark of a true leader, if anything; Jack would have what it took to take his place as leader of the Guardians for the time being until he was found. He had to maintain the hope that they would find him; that they would find a way. He could almost hear Bunnymund's jeering remarks about how he couldn't lose hope now. That now, when it was so close to Christmas, was when he needed to have that hope and faith the most. _You're right Aster. I need to keep up hope and faith in you, Toothiana, Sanderson and Jack._ His thoughts were interrupted when the door to his prison was swung open. He hadn't expected the redhead who appeared.

"Got you some company North." North didn't like the sound of that, and even less when he saw the boy who was shoved into the room before the door slammed shut and locked.

"North!"

"Jamie!" Jamie ran over to him and climbed up on the bed.

"Vhat are you doing here?!"

"Helping!"

"Cui!* You should not have been involved! Vhat vhere they thinking?! You are just boy!"

"Hey! I helped with Pitch didn't I? Besides, I'm the one who figured out how to get them here." North looked at him in surprise.

"Wasn't easy and Jack's been against it the whole time." Jamie's words seem to settle the elderly Guardian a bit. _At least Jack is no fool. Vhy involve Jamie though?_ North didn't find it hard to believe that Jack would protest; he was very protective of his first believer. North had seen proof of that first hand last winter when Jamie had accidently slipped on some ice; Jack had been there to ease his fall into soft snow.

"I... kind of insisted anyway." North raised an eyebrow at that.

"I couldn't just sit by and do nothing!"

"But now you captive like me."

"Yeah, but I'm not helpless." Jamie climbed off the bed and began to search the room for something, **any** thing that might be useful. North watched the boy; he was so brave for so young of a boy. He had shown that same courage in the face of the doom Pitch had promised to bring, had fought with them fearlessly against the Nightmares; he had been key to returning them to dream sand and restoring Sandy. Jack always said the boy was bright, and there was no doubt of that even if many of the things he thought were real were just mere legends to hide things of the spiritual world. Jamie walked around the room slowly, his eyes missing nothing as he decided he'd need to get North out of those handcuffs first thing; but what could he use to help? Obviously he couldn't just get the key, especially not with vampires about; as much as he'd tried to fight their influence he'd been helpless, nothing more than a puppet. He didn't understand why he hadn't simply been turned into one of them. Wasn't that the reason he'd been taken? Well Jake had seemed to imply so. So why was he still human? He brushed the thought aside, it was a question for another time and one that didn't really matter. Jamie walked from one corner of the room to another, looking for anything that might be useful. A needle, a bobby pin, any scrap of metal that he might use to insert into the lock... he'd need two strips likely and the chains had seemed like ordinary chains to him so maybe with a lot of luck he could bust the locks open.

"Vhat are you looking for?"

"Something to use... anything that might help..." Jamie replied absently. He inspected the Jack-o-lantern. No luck there, nor the candles or in the night stand nearby the bed. Jamie thought through carefully as to what there was in the room; there really wasn't a lot... North watched the boy who seemed to be searching for something that North was sure wasn't there. Jamie scuffed the stone tiles. One was a little loose, curious at that he crouched down and lifted it up. There was enough room to hide something small beneath the loose stone, but the area itself yielded nothing. Jamie stared at it in thought before he replaced the stone. He wandered the room, almost ignoring North as if the Guardian wasn't there. North didn't speak though, he didn't want to discourage the boy though he did not think Jamie would find anything of use. Jamie wandered all around, looking for more loose stones but he didn't find any; he then searched under the bed as if he expected to find something but he came up empty handed there too. He stared up at the chandelier above, as if the wooden centerpiece and what light it provided could provide answers or any help. Still he watched the boy. What could Jamie be thinking? Obviously there wasn't anything in the room that could help. Jamie walked over to the door and rapped loudly. North wondered what it was the boy was up to.

"What do you want?" A gruff voice on the other end replied.

"I'm thirsty and hungry. Do you have any food?" There was a grunt and then the sound of retreating footsteps. North was just all the more puzzled. Why would the boy ask for food?

*A/N: I have maintained the movie preference of North using the names of Russian musicians as curse words.


	10. 9

Jack groaned, he ached everywhere... where had that undead gone to? He didn't see Jake, any of those that had arrived or the bats. Tooth? Sandy? Bunny? Where WERE they?! Were they okay? What about Jamie? He'd seen Bunny with him last... A hand on his shoulder made him turn. It was Sandy and nearby was Tooth who was picking out dead twigs and leaves from her feathers.

"Sandy... Tooth... you okay?"

"I'm fine." Tooth said, brushing away more dead leaves.

"Where's Bunny?"

"Here mates." Bunny groaned as they turned to see him limping over to them. His fur was a mess and he seemed just as battered as they were.

"Where's Jamie?!" Jack asked. Bunny looked away.

"I'm sorry mate... I tried... I really did." Jack sank to the ground. No... not again.  
"No... J-jamie..."

"Come on mate... we'll think of somethin'." Sandy nodded:

We need to have hope that the boy is alright.

"Sandy's right. We don't know why they took him." Jack was silent for once; this worried the other Guardians greatly but none of them said anything as they walked with Jack. They didn't have a clue where to start looking, but they knew they had to look; they walked through the forest for what seemed like forever. Tooth fluttered high ahead to be on the lookout for anything that might help or might be dangerous but there was nothing for the longest time but dead trees.

"I see something! A town!" Tooth called and pointed the direction that they should go. The others followed her without comment. It seemed like forever and yet no time at all that they reached it. In the distance, as they stood at a twisted iron gate, was a castle. It towered over everything.

"I'd bet anythin' that's where we need ta go."

"Then let's go." Tooth said and they began walking towards the castle.

"I don't like this place." Bunny muttered and the others just nod. It looked like a normal town... out of a time gone by. The houses around were made of bricks that hadn't been seen in any human town or city for centuries. It reminded them very much of the Victorian era in the way the houses were arranged despite that they were made of crude stone. There seemed to be no life in the place and that made it unnerving. It was like there was no life in the place.

"Where ya reckon everyone is?" Bunny said to break the silence as they went further into the town.

"I don't think that I want to know." Tooth murmured. She could swear they were being watched, but she saw no one. Then she began to realize that it was starting to get darker.

"Um... guys..." As the shadows lengthened and what passed for a sun vanished the town seemed to almost come to life... in a matter of speaking. From various windows came eyes of all sorts in the darkness of the houses. Red or green and Tooth felt even more unnerved. Where there had once been empty shops came ghostly figures of humans and human looking figures who were paler than they should be. Some were also ghastly to look at.

"Um..." Tooth felt like they were intruding, that they shouldn't be there and she hoped that none of the creatures around them were like the vampires they'd encountered. Jack frowned a little while Bunny was on high alert at the sudden change.

"I donno that I like this..." Bunny muttered as they continued through the town. The sound of whinny stopped Bunny as he realized he'd almost run smack into a horse... or, well the _skeleton_ of one. It shook its head as if it were alive and snorted at him; he backed off, it was hitched to a carriage whose driver scowled down at him. The driver seemed to be a half melted figure of a human.

"Outta the way!" Bunny stepped aside and the carriage continued on its way. Sandy followed the group as they weaved through the citizens of the town. None of them attacked or even paid attention to the group. Going about their own business without any fuss towards the four who obviously stuck out like a sore thumb.

"Your heart is troubled is it not?" Jack froze, as did the others; where had she come from? Jack found a woman standing before him, green eyes, dressed in a black robes that only partially hid the blue jeans and red T-shirt beneath.

"Wha?" It was the first thing Jack had said since they'd been attacked. She smiled a little.

"If ya don't mind sheila, we're in a bit of a hurry here."

"Come, come. You have more time than you know Aster." Bunny stared. How did she...?

"I'll answer your questions too. Come, there is more time here than you know." Jack followed the woman without a word, Tooth followed and Sandy seemed suspicious as the others followed the woman. Sandy was the most suspicious of the group as the woman lead them off to a house not far from the castle they had been heading to; the first thing they noticed was that the main room was lit by an ancient, wooden chandelier while the only thing in the room was a table that held a deck of cards and a crystal ball.

"Fortune teller." Tooth said the word that was on their minds.

"Indeed."

"Alright shelia, what's this about?"

"Jacko has refused to listen to me, but shall I tell you how your current loss shall be actually your greatest victory?"

"What do you mean?" Jack asked, this woman had his interest now.

"Simple Jack, you have lost the one person that means the most to you, but you have yet to see his potential. He was key in the past to defeating Pitch and is the key to your victory now. Will you listen to what I have seen?"

"Don't listen to this Jack, she's just pullin' yer leg." The woman frowned.

"I beg to differ Aster."

"How do ya know that name?!" Bunny burst out.

"I know everything about each of you Guardians just as I know where Jacko is keeping your leader, North." Bunny stared at her, wondering just who this woman was.

North stared at Jamie who sat patiently as cuffs were placed on him when the guard to came in and he was chained to said guard as the food was set up on a foldout stand and then the second, who to Jamie was rather horrifyingly ugly of a creature to look at, left; the guard then led him back over to the door and unlocked the chains before shutting the door and locking it again. North watched Jamie the whole time. What could the boy be thinking? Jamie ignored the food and studied the utensils before he took the fork and began bending it... North said nothing as Jamie seemed to know what he was about though the Guardian began to wonder what exactly it was Jamie hoped to accomplish... until he saw Jamie come over to him.

"Jamie?"

"I've never done this before... but it's worth a shot." North could only wonder where the boy had gotten such an idea as Jamie inserted the bent metal into the lock, carefully jiggling the metal into the lock.

"Iz some trick there. You sure will work?"

"It has to." North didn't hold his breath and it was a good thing that he didn't because Jamie spent so much time at it that the Guardian was pretty sure it wasn't going to work until he heard a soft click and felt the cuff loosen. His eyes wide with surprise as he pulled his first hand free and Jamie immediately set on the second, more sure now as he set into the second lock which didn't take as much time as the first. He looked at the young boy in amazement. _Extraordinary! Fearless... innovative... He is growing into a fine young man... he still believes... Could it be he be a Guardian in the making?_ North wondered to himself as he rubbed his wrists.

"Vhat now?" North asked.

"I don't know... I haven't managed to come up with anything that would get us out of here."

"Others come for us."

"Yeah... and that's what I'm afraid of."

"Vhy?" North looked at Jamie in confusion.

"You really need to get out more. It's a classic evil ploy. Lure the hero into a trap by dangling bait... normally something that the hero is either after or someone close to him." North's eyes widen.

"You." Jamie nods sadly.

"Yeah. Me. I'm bait."

"Vhy though? Jacko doesn't care 'bout capturing others. Only wants ruin Christmas."

"Yeah, and who is going to stand in his way? The other Guardians."

"True... I be thinking I may have plan to get us out..."

"I'm all ears." North grinned. Jamie made as much noise as he could, alerting the guard nearby who come inside to see what the fuss was about. A mistake as North had taken the dish that had the food on it and slammed it into the back of the head of the guard, the humanoid went down with a thud and North took the blade off it. Jamie grabbed the keys and hid them in his pants when North wasn't looking. He wanted to cover all the bases. Jamie followed North through the dark halls, he wasn't sure that the Guardian knew where they were going but he knew that the only way to get out was to follow him and for the moment North was the only one who knew how to truly fight should it come down to that. Jamie was surprised that North could move so silently, until he remembered this was North he was thinking of... Of COURSE he could move silently! He did it once a night every year! Jamie shook his head a little at himself as he followed the larger Guardian through various hallways, never making a sound beyond that of soft footsteps and his own breathing. He swore his heart pounded as they made their way through the maze of a castle; certain that he could hear his blood pounding in his ears from the thrill of escaping... they couldn't be caught or they'd be facing a fight. They rounded a bend and Jamie nearly groaned when he realized that they had found another dead end... North and he doubled back in search of a way out, but that's when Jamie began to notice something, the shadows of this place seemed a bit too dark... a bit too large...

"North..." It was all Jamie had time to say before the most grotesque creatures he'd ever laid eyes on began forming.

"Stravinsky." Apparently they hadn't been as careful as they had thought...


	11. 10

The four Guardians rushed to the castle, they didn't stop to knock on the door or bother with noting that there didn't seem to be any guards as they barged into the first room, that was an expansive dining hall where there seemed to be no one at first but the shadows suddenly detached themselves from everywhere and converged on the Guardians. Bunny's egg bombs painted the castle even as they drove the shadows back, Tooth out flew them, Jack's ice made the paint glitter in the dim light as well as Sandy's sand. A floor above them, North swiped at several of the Night Terrors, managing to recover his swords and Jamie had picked up the stolen sword North had discarded; the blade slicing into any that came too near though it did little besides keep them back and one that tried to touch him only shrieked before disappearing. Its brethren kept as far from Jamie as possible after that. The shadows kept coming though as the two groups fought and in the chaos the two met in a large audience chamber with a throne; the shadows circling around the six of them. Jamie found he was back to back with Jack, slashing at the grotesque forms of the Night Terrors that circled around the group. They ceased attacking though, hissing and it became clear why as the throne chair was no longer empty; Jamie was surprised to see it was occupied by a youth who was pale, just as Jack was, but unlike Jack he was dressed in black modern clothes. Instead of blue eyes he had piercing orange and his wind tousled hair was black instead of white.

"Jacko." It was North who had spoken. The youth lounged in the chair.

"So, the Guardians are all here now. Along with their most precious believer, what an intriguing set of visitors."

"We aren't visitors! You sure don't treat visitors the way you've treated us!" Jamie yelled in response.

"Hmmm, true, more like trespassers."

"You stole me! I wouldn't trespass here if only zafe place on world!" North growled.

"I suppose not, but you are all guilty of keeping me from my _rightful_ place in the world."

"Says you! That's the biggest load of crap I've ever heard in my life!" Jamie shot out before Jack could think of speaking.

"Such language for a boy." Jamie glared in response.

"As it is, it's not fair that you stand between me and a world just waiting to believe!"

"If ya want believers so bad go get 'em yerself rather than ruining someone else's holiday!" Bunny scowled.

"Oh, I did indeed try that... but of course YOU Guardians had to ruin everything. I was so feared and believed in during the age the humans oddly call the Dark Ages. The power I wielded... everything was deliciously dark! Then you four had to ruin it all! Your wonder and light making me nothing more than a mere shadow on the wall! I intend to change that!"

"Shows what you know!" Jamie said suddenly.

"I beg your pardon?"

"People love being scared! Since when have you last been out of this dump of a place and I don't just mean the castle!" Jacko raised an eyebrow at the boy.

"I'd have thought the modern world would have better manners."

"Not with a villain like you." Jacko stood from his throne and moved towards the boy.

"Villain?" Jack shifted to set himself between the two.

"I'm not the villain dear boy. I'm merely taking what's rightfully mine."

"It's not yours to take a holiday that doesn't belong to you! To terrorize my mother and the whole of adults like you would a child! You want believers, fine, but this isn't the way!" Jacko stared at the boy a moment.

"You're the key..." He murmured, staring at the boy even as Jack shoved Jamie behind him; he wasn't about to let the other lay a hand on his friend.

"What are you talking about?" Jamie asked, peering around Jack in confusion. The other spirit laughed.

"So... that old fortune teller was right..." In the blink of an eye the shadows disappeared. The Guardians didn't trust this turn of events for a moment.

"Boy... I was told that you would come to be of your own violation one day, that you would stand with me. I was not told why, only that you would be the key; I have no intention of harming you in any way lest I hurt my chances." He turned from the group and headed back to the throne. Jamie just stared at the other.

"Why would you trust some fortune teller?"

"Because she's never been wrong. She even foretold that this would happen... did she not, Jack?" Jamie looked at Jack then.

"What's he talking about Jack?"

"I'll tell you the full story later Jamie. Right now I think we should leave."

"That would be preferable." Jacko replies and the group headed out of the castle without any trouble.

"I don't get it." Jack said as they stood at the doorstep of the castle. The others seemed just as perplexed.

"What does it matter? I say we just get out of here." Jamie replied. Though he had wondered what Jacko had meant as well. For what reason would he ever return to this place to? He shrugged it off and North pulled out a snow globe that then whisked them all back to the North Pole.

"I should take Jamie home." The others nod and Jamie didn't protest when Jack picked him up and carried him from the freezing North Pole.

"So, what exactly happened after I was taken?" Jamie asked quietly.

"Well, not much really. We found our way to town."

"What did he mean about you knowing what he meant?"

"Well, on our way to the castle we talked to a fortune teller. It was... unnerving that she seemed to know who we were when I've never met her. So we took a detour. It was how we knew where to find you in the castle. You didn't think that was by chance did you?" Jamie shrugged a little as they flew across Canada.

"I really didn't consider it. I was too busy fighting off the Night Terror things."

"Well, she told us exactly where you'd be and when so we could fight off the Night Terrors. Even told us we'd win the fight but she was vague about the how. Do you know what he meant? About you coming back willingingly?" Jamie shook his head.

"No idea. I'd have to have a heck of a reason to go there again. The guy's about as batty as Pitch was... well no, maybe he's a little more sane in some respects. I mean, he really didn't put up much of a fight did he?"

"No, and that's what concerns me."

"Why? He didn't have anything to gain in letting us all go like he did."

"We don't know that."

"Jack, seriously. He kidnaps North and then lets him GO when we all show up? What could he possibly hope to gain?"

"I don't know. I don't like it though." Jamie sighed a little.

"Well it doesn't really matter what his reasons are. Point is, North is back and he's got a couple of days to finish getting ready for Christmas. I have faith that things will be okay."

"So you did listen after all."

"I told you that I did fortune teller, but did you not say that the key would come to me if I proceeded? I needed to know who the key was for certain. North's capture was what was needed and the possibility of ruining that ridiculous holiday was just a bonus."

"But was it wise to antagonize Jack?"

"Hmmm, perhaps the frost spirit will mistrust me for some time, but it doesn't matter. As you say, fortune teller, you are _never_ wrong. The boy will come to me at the appointed time and I await his arrival. You are deserving of a favor and a feast for your work with them as I know too well you spoke with them but you didn't have to."  
"I only do what benefits us my king."

"Yes, yes, but even so your diligence goes beyond that and you deserve a reward." The woman merely smiles faintly.

"As you wish my lord." _If only you knew... but that would be telling..._

Jamie was glad when he found himself able to rest easy that night without being woken up from screams from his mother and the rest of the adults seemed to recover well from the threat of the Night Terrors. Jamie had to wonder though why they had seemed to up and vanish like that. What had been the purpose of them originally? Had it been Jacko's power seeping over the world, just as Pitch's had done and it had waned with the battle in the castle or was something else up? Jamie shook the questions from his mind as he got ready to go outside to play with Jack who was waiting for him. He bundled himself up and got ready for a snowball fight, it was; after all, just one more evening until Christmas. As he had every year, North delivered the gifts to all the girls and boys of the world; Jack made sure it was a white Christmas and no one, other than Jamie, was the wiser of the threat that had almost stolen Christmas from them that year.


End file.
